The following stories are brought to you by the fine folks on the News4 assignment desk.
DONNIE BASEBALL TO DC?
Is Donnie Baseball on his way to D.C.? The former Yankees superstar, and current hitting coach for the L.A. Dodgers is set to interview for the Nats managerial job after the Dodgers' post-season run is over, which, depending on which Cole Hamels shows up, could be as soon as tonight.
"Donnie Ballgame" -- as the Post's Tom Boswell recently mis-dubbed him -- has long been considered the manager-in-waiting for the Dodgers. Joe Torre's contract runs out after next season, with Mattingly the favorite to take over. (NBC Washington)
BOOK CLUB, SALSA DANCING IN IRAQ
Pfc. Adrian Vesik heard that war could be hell.
He was happy to discover when he arrived in Iraq earlier this year that his war experience also would include salsa dancing, yoga and martial-arts classes.
"When I signed up for the Army, I thought I was going to be a hero — go out and do some fighting," says Vesik, 19, during a break at a Filipino-Okinawan jujitsu class. "I haven't come close to doing anything that I was trained to do. I work, maybe, four to five hours a day. I have time to try all these new things. It's not so bad." (USA Today)
DON'T LET YOUR GIRLFRIEND SEE THIS
A square, 32.01-carat emerald-cut diamond that billionaire philanthropist Leonore Annenberg bought for her 90th birthday sold for $7.7 million at auction on Wednesday.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
About the size of a walnut, the flawless, colorless diamond sits on a ring designed by Manhattan jeweler David Webb. It is flanked by two pear-shaped diamonds, one of them 1.61 carats and the other 1.51 carats. (MSNBC)
EVEN TOKYO MOTOR SHOW FEELS THE PINCH
Debt, recession, rising commodity prices and the global environment stalked the halls of the 41st Japanese motor show like the four motorists of the apocalypse. "The Tokyo Motor Show is not as lively as it once was," said Akio Toyoda, Toyota's president.
He wasn't kidding. The show was considerably reduced in size, with motorcycles pulled into the main halls to make up the numbers and only Lotus, Caterham and Alpina making the journey from Europe. (Telegraph)
